30 Class
The C30 class was a class of steam locomotives built by Beyer, Peacock and Company and Eveleigh Railway Workshops for the New South Wales Government Railways of Australia. These 4-6-4T wheel arrangement locomotives were specifically designed to haul Sydney's ever increasing suburban traffic, particularly over the heavy grades on the Northern, North Shore and Illawarra lines. History The first batch of 35 locomotives were built Beyer, Peacock and Company entering service in 1903/04. Between 1905 and 1917 Beyer, Peacock built a further 60 engines while the New South Wales Government Railways built 50 at their Eveleigh Railway Workshops. The electrification of the inner suburban lines resulted in a surplus of the class too valuable to scrap. Accordingly, between August 1928 and July 1933, 77 of these locomotives were converted to C30T tender 4-6-0 type locomotives by Clyde Engineering and Eveleigh Railway Workshops to replace older locomotives on country branch lines. The remaining tank locomotives were mostly employed on Sydney suburban services to Cowan, Penrith and Campbelltown as well as branches to Carlingford, Richmond and Camden. They were also used on suburban services in Newcastle and Wollongong. A few drifted to the country areas, working on sections where no turntable was readily available, such as Casino to Border Loop on the North Coast line, Leeton and Merriwa and shunting at yards such as Bathurst. The daily passenger trains on the extremely steep Unanderra to Moss Vale line were operated by 30 class locomotives until February 1967. Following the electrification of the country platforms at Sydney Central station, the 30 class replaced the 26 class locomotives used to shunt carriages in the yard, they being not so dangerous to water under the traction wiring. The first was withdrawn in February 1957, by July 1965 the fleet was down to 33 and by mid-1971 down to three. The last three in service were 3046, 3085 and 3112. The were allocated to Enfield Locomotive Depot. These three have all survived in preservation. All three were in use during May 1972, when they took turns replacing 1307 as the Clyde Reclamation Yard Shunter. As of 31 July 1972, 3046 and 3085 were still in service, 3112 was in store. 3046 was withdrawn on 31 July 1972. 3112 was officially withdrawn during February 1972 but was still in use until 25 July 1972. 3085 was withdrawn on 22 February 1973, the second last steam locomotive in service on the NSWR. All were placed in store at Enfield, joining 3003 which had been withdrawn in March 1971. Preservation Five have been preserved: *3013 by the Lachlan Valley Railway, donated to the Canberra Railway Museum October 2009 *3046 by the Dorrigo Steam Railway and Museum *3085 by the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum, transferred from Thirlmere to Goulburn Roundhouse November 2009 *3112 by Forbes Vintage Village, sold November 1986 to Barry Tulloch and restored to service in 1988, currently stored at Canberra Railway Museum *3137 by the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum, was operational until the early 1990s mainly being used on Picton - Buxton loop line services Category:NSWGR Steam